Here Comes the Horse Show

     This Saturday, April 25th the culminating event that I have been planning since January will take place. Part of my project when getting hired onto University of Illinois's Extension office in Champaign included creating Horse SPIN Clubs throughout the county. A second part of that original project was to eventually host a culminating event in the following spring to bring out the accomplishments of my past year. This Saturday, 27 youth will be participating in what will be the first for many of them a Fun Horse Show. 

Riders at Westbrook Stable - Mahomet

     The event will be held at Westbrook Stable in Mahomet, one of the clubs that I got started earlier this fall. There will be 8 events ranging from riding, to leading, to obstacle courses, to relays. All of the leaders from each club have graciously agreed to help plan this and have donated much of their free time by coming together and meeting every month since mid-January.

     This event is giving each of the youth currently enrolled in these Horse SPIN Clubs a chance to show to their friends and families what skills that have learned and been mastering since September. Many kids enrolled in these clubs have had no past horse experience until joining their respective clubs.

     Planning and seeing this event through is one part of my job I have been looking forward to all year long. With horses being my passion it was great to get to come together with amazing leaders that just want to see their kids succeed, and to help make this event something memorable for everyone. The hopes of this show is to become an annual event that will occur for years to come.

     The timing of this event could not come at a more bittersweet time. As my term with University of Illinois Extension winds to a close, this is the last time I will get to see many of the youth and leaders that have helped make my year at Extension an experience to remember.